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Nikita Soshnikov With KHL Out Clause

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Like Alexei Bereglazov earlier this month, another KHL player could return to Russia if not called up soon. According to TSN’s Insider Trading Nikita Soshnikov of the Toronto Maple Leafs has a clause in his deal which would allow him to return to the KHL should he not be called up by November 14th. As Pierre Lebrun of The Athletic points out, he also is just three games away from becoming waiver-eligible.

Nikita SoshnikovFor what it’s worth, Soshnikov’s agent apparently says the forward wants to stay in the NHL and since he’s regularly been the AHL Marlies’ best player this season one would believe the Maple Leafs would do everything they could to keep him in North America. The problem though, is where to fit him onto the roster.

The Maple Leafs called up Frederik Gauthier today to replace Kasperi Kapanen because of the minor injury to Auston Matthews, giving them some center help should their star have to sit out a day. Beyond that roster spot, there isn’t much room in Toronto. Josh Leivo, another talented winger hasn’t been able to crack the Maple Leafs lineup for any length of time and is waiver-eligible himself. He’d almost certainly be claimed if the team tried to send him to the minor leagues.

You wouldn’t want the 24-year old Soshnikov just sitting around with the NHL club for very long, so perhaps his clause would expedite another move by Toronto. They do have three forwards on expiring contracts in James van Riemsdyk, Tyler Bozak and Leo Komarov, and likely don’t have room for more than one of them past this season. The team has young players to pay, and the trio of veterans are probably a little too pricey to keep around. The team obviously has their eye on a postseason run, but moving one of their pending unrestricted free agents for defensive help, only to replace them with NHL-ready Soshnikov or Kapanen could be a prudent course of action.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Alexei Bereglazov Loaned To KHL

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Last we heard on Alexei Bereglazov, a decision was to be made in early November on whether the would utilize his out clause and return to the KHL. The New York Rangers defender has been playing in the AHL all season after being a sought-after free agent this summer. Now here we are in early November, and the head coach of Magnitogorsk has told Alexei Shevchenko of Sport-Express that Bereglazov will be heading back to his former Russian team while Larry Brooks of the New York Post confirms the assignment with the team.

Bereglazov, 23, was one of several KHL players to come over this summer in hopes of making a name for themselves in the NHL. He joined the likes of Jakub Jerabek, Victor Antipin and Vadim Shipachyov as undrafted players who suited up in Russia last season, only to be pulled over to North America. That group is obviously a mixed bag, with only Antipin playing more than a handful of NHL games so far.

The Rangers will maintain rights to Bereglazov, and could bring him back next season. For now, he’ll technically play as a loan to Magnitogorsk, burning the first year of his entry-level contract. While it hasn’t worked in New York so far, this is better news than a potential termination or retirement like the Shipachyov situation.

KHL Could Block Players From Participating In Olympics If Russia Is Banned

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The KHL may consider blocking its players from participating in the upcoming Olympics if the Russian Federation is banned from participating as a result of the doping scandal from the 2014 Games, Sport-Express’ Igor Eronko reports (Twitter link).  The league has scheduled a lengthy break during the season (from January 24th through February 25th) to coincide with the event so even if they do stop their players from going, all of them will still be off for a month.

While that would clearly take Russia out of the equation, it would also wreak havoc on several other countries that are likely to draw from KHL teams as well.  For the Karjala Cup (which teams are using as a pre-Olympics camp) that gets underway next week, Canada has 16 KHL players on their roster while Finland has 13, Sweden has 11, and the Czech Republic has nine.  The United States, Switzerland, and Slovenia all have players in that league as well.

Although the possibility exists for athletes from countries that are barred from participating to play under a neutral flag, Russian players would not do so, Gennady Timchenko, chairman of the KHL Board of Directors and vice-president of Russia’s Olympic Committee, told R-Sport (link in Russian).  In an interview with Eronko (link in Russian), IIHF President Rene Fasel stated that if Russia was not allowed to participate, they would not be replaced by another country for the tournament.

A final decision has not been made by the International Olympic Committee regarding Russia’s eligibility just yet nor has the KHL officially decided that they would block all of its players from participating in response to a ban though league president Dmitry Chernyshenko told Eronko (Twitter link) that he is prepared to do so if it comes to it.  However, it appears that there is at least a chance that an already weaker Olympics in terms of availability of players could find itself drawing from even less of a talent pool.

P.A. Parenteau Signs With Yekaterinburg In The KHL

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After being unable to land a spot with Detroit in training camp, veteran winger P.A. Parenteau has signed a one year with Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg, the KHL team announced.  He skated in four games with the Red Wings in the preseason, tallying one assist but the team instead opted to sign winger David Booth before the season got underway.

May 18, 2017; Nashville, TN, USA; Nashville Predators right wing P.A. Parenteau (11) behind the net during the first period against the Anaheim Ducks in game four of the Western Conference Final of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY SportsLast year, the 34-year-old spent the majority of the season with New Jersey (after being claimed off waivers from the Islanders at the end of training camp) where he fared relatively well, recording 13 goals and 14 assists in 59 games.  He was dealt to the Predators at the trade deadline to serve as extra depth but he was a frequent healthy scratch, particularly in the postseason where he played in just five of 22 games.

Although it looks like his NHL playing days may now be over, Parenteau has still had a successful NHL career.  He was largely an afterthought after being a ninth rounder of Anaheim back in 2001 and it took him until 2010 before he became an NHL regular.  Despite that, he has managed to put up four seasons of 40 points or more, including a 67-point campaign with the Islanders in 2011-12.  Overall, he has played in 491 regular season games with eight different teams, tallying 114 goals and 182 assists.

As is the case with many veterans heading across the pond, it will be interesting to see if Parenteau garners any Olympic consideration.  He isn’t on Canada’s entry for the Karjala Cup later this month but a strong start to his KHL season would certainly put him on their radar as productive forwards are in short supply with NHL players not being allowed to participate in the Olympics this time around.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Nikita Popugaev Leaves WHL For KHL

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It’s been a whirlwind twelve months for Nikita Popugaev and likely not in a good way for the career prospects of the New Jersey Devils prospect. The once-highly regarded young forward saw his stock drop prior to the draft and has struggled again to begin this season, leading to a departure from juniors that could have a major impact on his career.

Popugaev, 18, was hoping for 2017 to be a year to remember. Instead, it has been a year to forget. Heading into last season, the 6’6″, 205-lb. Russian import was considered a surefire first round pick. In 2015-16, he impressed in his first junior season, recording 47 points in 70 games for the Moose Jaw Warriors. The first half of 2016-17 was even better; Popugaev had an incredible 51 points in his first 40 games, including a team-leading 22 goals to that point. Yet, the Warriors decided to trade Popugaev to another WHL contender, the Prince George Cougars, in early January. The Cougars would eventually go on to win the WHL’s B.C. Division, but due in little part to the contributions of Popugaev. The young scorer’s production dropped off entirely in Prince George, as he registered only 18 points in 31 games following the trade.

Suddenly, the draft status of the big winger came under serious fire. The initial thought was that Popugaev had the scoring touch and stick skills to be a bona fide NHLer, but also size and strength that made him more pro-ready than many of his peers. However, his struggles with the Cougars exposed Popugaev as a selfish player who preferred trying to beat defenders one-on-one rather than using his new teammates. With a skating game that was still in development and a nonexistent defensive game, the doubts over Popugaev’s offense sent him quickly sliding down draft boards. Popugev ended up as a fourth-round pick of the Devils this June, the 98th overall selection when this time last year some considered him to be a top-15 possibility.

Yet, Popugaev had the chance to bounce back in a full season with Prince George in 2017-18 and prove wrong his critics. Only, through his first thirteen games, Popugaev has only two goals and seven points, accompanied by a -13 rating. Likely fed up with the downward spiral his career has been on since his trade to the Cougars in January, Popugaev decided today that enough was enough. They young Russian has decided to return home, as the KHL announced (link in Russian) that Popugaev has signed with CSKA Moskva. Not only is jumping ship to the KHL generally not a good move for young players, but Popugaev’s willingness to cross the Atlantic at his earliest opportunity to play Canadian junior had lessened some of the concerns regarding the “Russian factor”. Now, he has done exactly what many team fear and has abandoned one of the top developmental pathways in hockey to  instead join the KHL, where he will have much less exposure and will adjust to a different style of game, even in what will likely be few minutes. In fact, Popugaev’s contract specifically allows him to be demoted not one but two levels below the KHL. Not only that, but it is a two-year deal.

In one year, Popugaev has gone from a top scorer in one of the best feeder leagues in North America and a potential NHL asset in short time to an afterthought returning to Russia out of frustration with his role and his draft slot. It’s certainly not the best look for the New Jersey prospect, but hopefully the move helps to get his career back on track.

Shipachyov To Be Suspended, Could Be Terminated

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After not playing in what was supposed to be his AHL debut Saturday night, Vegas Golden Knights forward Vadim Shipachyov has been officially suspended without pay, according Sportsnet’s Eric Engels. According to Engels, if Vegas does not trade Shipachyov before Monday, the team will likely begin a termination of his contract, forcing him to return to Russia.

As reported yesterday, Shipachyov had practiced Friday with the Chicago Wolves after being assigned there Wednesday with everyone assuming he would make his debut Saturday. Instead, he opted to not play and returned back to Vegas to be with his family.

The 30-year-old center has had a turbulent time since joining the Golden Knights. The former KHL star was expected to be one of the stars on a struggling expansion team when he was signed in May of this year, but instead has had to deal with a logjam of non-waiver eligible players, which forced him to get demoted to Chicago to start the season. He never played for Chicago, however, as he was allowed to stay in Vegas until the team could fix their roster issues. Three games later, Shipachyov made his debut and scored his first and only goal of the season.

However, Shipachyov’s playing time began to diminish from that point on as he was criticized by his coach, Gerard Gallant, for struggling to adjust to the NHL game and was again re-assigned to Chicago when scorer Jon Marchessault returned from IR last week.

 

Latest On Toronto’s Russian Recruitment

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The Toronto Maple Leafs struck gold when they signed the then 24-year old Nikita Zaitsev out of the KHL. It took just one season before Zaitsev earned a seven-year extension with the Maple Leafs, a deal that will pay him an average of $4.5MM per season. Zaitsev has quickly become one of the most reliable defenders in Toronto, and will be a part of that team for some time.

Before signing Zaitsev, the Maple Leafs’ brass went to meIgor Ozhignaovet him in person in Russia and recruit him into their program. Earlier this summer they completed a similar trip to see Igor Ozhiganov, another 25-year old defender that could sign as soon as next summer. Now, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet again mentions the team’s connection to the pending free agent. On Hockey Night in Canada last night:

He’s going to be recruited by some NHL teams, but the word out of Russia is that he is most likely going to Toronto next year.

Toronto has some of the most exciting young offensive players in the league, but have continued to struggle defensively at times. Though they’re 7-4 through the first few weeks of the season, they’ve also allowed 40 goals during those 11 games. While Zaitsev worked out quite well for them, there is no telling what Ozhiganov could become. The 6’2″ 207-lbs defenseman certainly has the talent to come to the NHL, and Zaitsev would have some inside info for his new team—the two played together for both CSKA Moscow and Sibir Novosibirsk during their KHL careers.

Snapshots: Shipachyov, Mete, Eaves

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Vadim Shipachyov has reported to the Chicago Wolves and was on the ice practicing with them today, meaning he’ll likely accept his demotion to the AHL and avoid suspension from the team. The 30-year old forward will still earn his full $5MM salary ($2MM of which was already paid out as a signing bonus) while in the minor leagues, but the team will benefit from a bit of cap relief. Still, with his agent apparently talking to other teams about potential trades he may not be there for long.

Representatives from Shipachyov’s former team SKA St. Petersburg in Russia made clear to KHL reporter Aivis Kalnins that they cannot negotiate with him while he’s still under contract with the Golden Knights or any other NHL team. There can be no talks until a mutual termination is achieved which both seems unlikely for a number of reasons, and has never been intimated by Shipachyov or his representatives. For now, he’ll have to just continue to try and adjust to the North American game while playing in the AHL.

  • Victor Mete played in his tenth NHL game this season last night for the Montreal Canadiens, crossing the threshold to burn the first year of his entry-level contract. There is another (sometimes more important) threshold at 40 games, in which the player moves a year closer to unrestricted free agency, but Mete seems destined to clear that as well. The team today told him to find a place to live according to Richard Labbe of La Presse, as he won’t be sent back to junior anytime soon. Mete has been a shining light in an otherwise dark start to the season for the Canadiens, serving as their lone true puck-moving defenseman. The 19-year old is undersized, but has shown all the makings of a top-4 defenseman for the long-term. While Montreal has many problems to start the year, Mete isn’t one of them.
  • Lastly, some great news out of Anaheim. After Ducks’ forward Patrick Eaves was hospitalized with Guillain-Barre syndrome earlier this month, he announced on his Twitter page that he’s home and resting with his family. Eaves is expected to make a full recovery, though there is no clear timetable on his return to the ice. For now, the Ducks will need to move on without the 33-year old forward, whose long-term health is much more important than the games he is missing.

Teddy Purcell, Lauri Korpikoski Sign Overseas

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Two of the more notable names left without an NHL contract when the 2017-18 season began have come to terms on new deals elsewhere. Teddy Purcell, a former 65-point scorer who of late was on a PTO with the Boston Bruins, signed with the KHL’s Avangard Omsk today, the team announced. Lauri Korpikoski, fresh off a strong campaign with the Dallas Stars and Columbus Blue Jackets, somewhat surprisingly drew little attention this off-season and has now signed with the ZSC Lions of the NLA, according to a team release. The former Edmonton teammates will each look to rejuvenate their careers overseas this season.

Purcell, 32, was had a roller coaster career. The undrafted University of Maine product made a surprise jump to the NHL with the Los Angeles Kings in 2007-08 after just one year of college and made an immediate impact. After being swapped for Jeff Halpern early in his career, Purcell took off with the Tampa Bay Lightning, scoring 51 points his first season and 65 the next. His scoring continued, but that didn’t stop the Bolts from trading him to the Edmonton Oilers, who in turn traded him to the Florida Panthers less than two years later. During this time, Purcell had continued to be a consistent scorer no matter where he landed. So, when Purcell given nearly no attention in the free agent market last year and ended up back in L.A. and soon after buried in the minors, it came as a shock to many. This time around, no one was surprised when Purcell was unable to turn his tryout in Boston into a contract, but the fact remains that there is still no evidence that Purcell ever stopped being a solid play-making forward. Now in Russia, Purcell has the potential to light it up with Avangard. Don’t be surprised if the swift winger scores early and often in the KHL and catches the eye of the Canadian Olympic team.

As for Korpikoski, his off-season went much like Purcell’s last year. 20 points in 60 games aren’t eye-popping numbers, but it was a pleasantly surprising season for Korpikoski in Dallas. The two-way forward had never been a big producer – his career high 40 points came back in 2010-11 with the Phoenix Coyotes, a team on which he was pressed into a top-six role due to a lack of talent – but Korpikoski had made a career out of his well-rounded game. A 2004 first-round pick of the New York Rangers, the now-31-year-old was a hard-working and reliable player for long stretches in New York and Arizona, but a drop-off in production in the desert and a subsequent trade to the Edmonton Oilers in 2015 looked like the beginning of the end. Yet, the Stars took a gamble last summer and it paid off with a sold effort from Korpikoski and a trade return of young defenseman Dillon Heatherington from Columbus at the deadline. However, the renewed interest never came and Korpikoski has had to settle for Switzerland. With ZSC, Korpikoski will join a talented NLA team and will get a chance to skate alongside NHL veterans like Robert Nilsson and Drew Shore. While Finland is in better shape for the upcoming Winter Games than the U.S. or Canada, don’t count out the possibility of the veteran Finn winger from getting the call to go to Pyeongchang as well.

Potential Out Clause For Alexei Bereglazov

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When reports came out this summer that New York Rangers defenseman Marc Staal would have to win his job in camp, many people immediately assumed he would not be able to. After all, he now had to battle it out with several younger, more mobile options. The Rangers had brought in Neal Pionk, Anthony DeAngelo, and Russian defender Alexei Bereglazov to compete for spots. Instead, none of the three are on the roster as the Rangers get set to take on the Arizona Coyotes tonight, and Bereglazov especially is an interesting case.

Bereglazov signed a two-year, entry-level contract this summer with the team after showing some improved offensive ability. The 23-year old KHL veteran has yet to see any action with the Rangers, instead suiting up for their AHL affiliate in Hartford. His deal always had a reported European Assignment Clause, meaning he could return to Russia should he find himself in the minors, and now Yevgeni Belousov of Sport-Express has been told a decision could be made at the beginning of November. That news comes from the VP of Bereglazov’s former team in Magnitogorsk, and shouldn’t be taken to mean that the defender has any problem with staying in North American and playing in the AHL. He hasn’t indicated anything like that, and it comes with no surprise that Magnitogorsk would want him back.

There doesn’t seem to be an opening at the NHL level right now, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be at any moment.  While DeAngelo has seemingly blown his latest chance at a full-time role, a Bereglazov recall could be just a single injury away. It’s also interesting to note that just today Magnitogorsk re-signed Chris Lee, the veteran defender who had been trying to earn a job in the NHL. Since he’s expected to log big minutes in the KHL once again, perhaps it is a little less appealing of a destination to the young Russian.

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